Combination front bumper and grille



1952 J. DYKSTRA COMBINATION FRONT BUMPER AND GRILLE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 1m. 31, 1949 Bnuentor /werg /kza (Ittomegs Dec. 16, 1952 J. DYKSTRA 2,621,955

COMBINATION FRONT BUMPER AND GRILLE Filed Dec. 31, 1949 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zhwentor Gttornegs COMBINATION FRONT BUMPER AND GRILLE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 31, 1949 Zhlvcutor (fa/vzzs'gyiiffw Gttorneg W n EMU MI Mia?" Patented Dec. 16, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINATION FRONT BUMPER AND GRILLE James Dykstra, Lansing, Mich., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application December 31, 1949, Serial No. 136,228

4 Claims. (01. 293.452)

This invention relates to motor vehicles and particularly to an end construction therefor comprising a combined bumper and air intake grille.

The conventional practice prior to my invenends are interconnected by a secondary bumper bar cooperating therewith to form a grille for the engine cooling air opening in the end wall of the-vehicle.

tion, particularly on automobiles having a for- 5 These and other objects attained by my inven- Wardly mounted engine receiving its cooling air tion will be. clearly understood from the following supply through an opening in the forward wall in description having reference to the drawings the body sheet metal, has been to provide a grille wherein: structure for the air intake opening fixedly Figure 1 is a partially diagrammatic view in secured to the body sheet metal and a transverse side elevation of an automotive vehicle incorbumper separately supported on relatively long porating the bumper-grille structure of my resilient arms from the vehicle frame in aposiinvention, with parts broken away and in section. tion forwardlyof the grille. By reason of the Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the bumper being mounted separately from the grille vehicle and bumper-grille of Figure 1. its movement relative thereto on the occasions of Figure 3 is a sectional plan view taken substanvehicle collisions frequently results in the bumper tially on line 33 of Figure 2. coming in contact with and damaging the grille. Figure 4 is an enlargement of a portion of my Further in an attempt to insure against probumper grille as viewed in'Figure 2, with parts jecting portions of other vehicles, et cetera exbroken away and in section. tending over or under the bumper and striking Figure 5 -is a sectional view taken substanthe grille on the occasions of minor collisions, tially on line 55 of Figure 4. various extensions or bumper guards have been Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view attached to the bumper bar to provide the same similar to Figure 3, with parts broken away and with a widened section opposite the grille. It in section. frequently happens, however, that upon one of Referring to the drawings, the numeral l desigthese bumper guards receiving a substantial blow nates generally the body of an automotive the bumper bar and its supporting structure vehicle having a forwardly mounted engine (not twists sufiiciently for the guard itself to strike shown) disposed between fenders 2 and 3 and the grille, thereby causing damage which would covered by a hood 4. The fenders and the hood not have occurred in the absence of such bumper turn downwardly in conventional manner at their guards, forward ends to cooperate 'in forming a body front While attempts have been made in the prior art end wall designated generally at 5 having a to avoid these difficulties, such as by forming the central opening 6 through which air for cooling main impact bar with a perforated section to the engine is taken in during vehicle operation. serve as a grille in place of the usual separate This cooling air is conducted from the intake grille attached to the body sheet metal, the results opening 6 to the engine radiator I through a duct have been unsatisfactory either by reason of the or passage formed by upper and lower panels 8 excessive cost of the construction employed and 9 (Figure 1) and suitable connecting side and/or the excessive weight of such bumperp els (not Shown). The top and side extremigrilles if they are to have a sufficiently large 40 ties of the air intake Ope a e framed by a total opening area to meet the requirements of inverted generally U-shaped molding l0 (Figures adequate ventilation and cooling of the vehicle 1 and 2) which is fixedly attached to the body I in operation. in any desired manner. II and [2 indicate the It is, therefore, the principal object, of the forward ends of the usual longitudinal sillsof instant invention to provide an improved end the vehicle frame upon which the body I is construction for an automotive vehicle including o d a extending forwardly erefrom in a lightweight bumper-grille assembly of l w laterally divergent relation on each side of the cost and adequate strength, the individual parts Opening 6 is a Pair Of pri g steel bumper supof which are removably fixed together for con- Porting s I and TheSe arms are fi y venience in repair and replacement. attached to the sills H and 12 in the usual man- A more specific object of the invention is to her as by bolts l5 and have their forward ends provide such a vehicle end construction incor- 6 and I! turned outwardly from each other reporating a single primary bumper bar to which spectively to provide mounting pads for my are rigidly attached a pair of upright members in bumper-grille structure whichis designated gena laterally spaced apart relation whose upper orally by the numeral 20. The angular relation 3 of the arms |3 and M to the sills H and I2 allows the arms to yield somewhat under impact loads imposed on the bumper-grille 20.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3 the bumper-grille structure 23 comprises a single primary impact bar 2| extending the full width of the body I and curving rearwardly around the same at its opposite ends 22 and 23. The bar 2| is of channel section (Figures 1 and the channel being open toward the body, and has its web portion 24 removably fixed to the ends H of the arms H) by bolts 25. 26 are spacers between the arm ends I? and the web section 24. As will be seen in Figure 1, the primary bar 2| has its upper channel section flange 21 disposed substantially at the height of the panel 9.

Secured to the primary bar 2| opposite the air intake opening 6 are two laterally spaced apart vertical bars or stanchions 30 and 3| each of which is generally C-shaped as viewed in side elevation (Figures 1 and 5) to receive the channel section primary bar 2| in nesting relation and its upwardly and rearwardly extending portion 33 terminates within the opening 6 defined by the molding l0. Each of the stanchions 30 and 3| is of channel section open toward the primary bar 2|, and flange portions 34 and 35 closely conform and abut edgewise with the contour of the primary bar external surface. Interconnecting the upper portions 33 of the stanchions is a secondary bumper bar or tie bar 49 which as seen in Figure 1 is disposed substantially within the opening 6 and approximately equally spaced vertically from the primary bar 2| and the molding In.

As will be seen in Figure 2, the stanchions 30 and 3| are disposed a short distance laterally inward from the respective ends of the opening 6, and between the stanchions and said ends of the opening are shown ear-like plates 4| and 42 respectively, which serve to conceal the bumper supporting arms l3 and [4 from external view. Preferably the primary impact bar 2|, stanchions 30 and 3|, and tie bar are removably connected together by means of bolts to provide for the replacement of individual parts in the event of damage. The lower ends of the stanchions are each secured to the primary bar 2| by a single bolt 45 which passes through a short spacer member 46 separating the web of the stanchion and the lower flange of the primary bar 2|. Opposite the bent-over ends l6 of the arms [4 each stanchion is provided interiorly with an apertured plate 41 which is welded as at 49 to the stanchion flanges 34 and 35. This plate 41 serves as an abutment for the head 50 of a bolt 5| which anchors the stanchion to the primary bar 2| and the bar 2| to the arm end I6, a spacer 52 being provided to take the thrust of the bolt 5| when the nut 53 is drawn up.

Each of the ear-like plates 4| and 42 has a downwardly turned flange 54 which abuts a cooperating turned down portion 48 provided on the upper channel section flange 21 of the primary bar and is secured thereto by rivets 55. The inboard flange 34 of each stanchion is secured by bolts 56 to the flanged end 51 of the tie bar 40 (Figures 4, 5 and 6) and the inboard end 58 of each plate 4| and 42 is connected to the upper channel section flange 21 of the impact bar 2| by means of a strap 59 whose opposite ends are provided with tapped openings to receive bolts 60 and 6| extending through suitable apertures in the flange 21 and plate end 58.

From the description heretofore given it is believed apparent that a novel and commercially practical grille structure is provided for the air intake opening in the front end wall of the vehicle which accommodates fore and aft movement of the bumper during collisions. While I have shown but one tie bar 40 interconnecting the stanchions 30 and 3|, the number of such bars used would of course vary with the size of the opening 6.

I claim:

1. In an automotive vehicle having a frame with a body mounted thereon and terminating in an end wall having a central opening adjacent its lower margin for intake of engine cooling air, the combination therewith of a transverse bumper bar of outwardly closed channel section having its end portions embracing opposite sides of the body and its intermediate portion disposed opposite the lower margin of said opening, a pair of resilient arms extending in laterally divergent relation from the frame to the bumper bar on opposite sides of said opening for supporting and cushioning the bumper bar against impacts directed longitudinally of the vehicle, said arms being fixedly connected at their respective opposite ends to the frame and the channel section web of the bumper bar, a pair of vertical bars clamped to said bumper bar intermediate portion adjacent and laterally inward of the respective side margins of the opening, said vertical bars each having a generally C-shaped lower portion receiving the bumper bar channel section in nesting relation and an upper portion extending toward the body and terminating within the opening, and a transverse tie bar interconnecting the upper portions of the vertical bars and spaced intermediately of the bumper bar and the upper margin of the open- 2. In an automotive vehicle, an engine, a coolant radiator therefor, a body including an engine compartment having a forward end wall provided with an opening centrally located adjacent its lower margin and other walls forming a passage rearwardly from said opening to the radiator, a generally U-shaped decorative molding outlining the upper and lateral extremities of said opening, said molding being fixed rigidly to the body, a frame fixedly supporting said walls, a combined bumper and grille structure in protective relation with said end wall, and resilient means interconnectin the bumper and frame and yieldably accommodating their relative movement longitudinally of the vehicle, said bumper and grille structure comprising upper and lower transverse bars interconnected by spaced-apart vertical bars, said lower transverse bar extending the full width of the end wall, said upper transverse bar and its associated portions of the vertical bars being receivable by said opening during movement of the lower transverse bar toward the frame.

3. In a motor vehicle, in combination with a frame having a body mounted thereon, said body having a central opening at one end for the admission of cooling air to the engine, of a primary impact member positioned adjacent said end opening and extending transversely of the vehicle, a generally U-shaped molding fixedly secured to the body and defining the upper and lateral. extremities of said opening, secondary upright impact members removably attached to said primary member in laterally spaced relation, said secondary members being positioned adja cent the lower edges and laterally inward of the side walls of said molding so as to be capable of movement through said opening without contacting said side walls of the body, a transversely positioned member extending between said secondary members and connecting the same, resillent arms mounted on said frame and secured to said primary member, and cover means overlying said resilient arms and secured to said primary member and one of said secondary members for concealing said arms from normal view, said covering means being positioned within said central opening adjacent its lower side edge.

4. In an automotive vehicle having a frame with a body mounted thereon and terminating in an end wall having a central opening adjacent its lower margin for intake of engine cooling air, the combination therewith of a primary impact bar of outwardly closed channel section extending transversely the full width of the body and defining the lower margin of said opening. a pair of resilient arms extending between the frame and said primary impact bar for supporting and cushioning said primary impact bar under impacts directed longitudinally of the vehicle, a generally U-shaped decorative molding outlining the upper and lateral extremities of said opening fixed rigidly to the body, a pair of vertical impact bars of outwardly presenting channel section and generally C-shaped in vertical plane longitudinally of the vehicle, said vertical bars receiving the primary impact bar in nested relation and terminating upwardly thereof within said opening and below said upper margin, a second transversely extending impact bar vertically spaced between said primary impact bar and said upper margin, opposite ends of said secondary bar having flanges abutting and bolted to the inboard channel walls of said vertical bars, and plates piercing the outboard channel walls of said vertical bars and extending toward the lateral margins of said opening for concealing said resilient arms from normal external view.

JAMES DYKSTRA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 125,007 Walker Feb. 4, 1941 2,194,459 Frank Mar. 26, 1940 2,250,565 Bahr July 29, 1941 2,329,874 Cadwallader et a1. Sept. 21, 1943 

